how long can you live with copd after diagnosed?

Question

How long does someone with COPD usually live?

Answer 1

A long time: Although it depends a little on how severe the COPD is, for the most part, you can live a very long time with copd. I have patients with COPD getting treatment who live a very long time, and they have good, healthy, happy lives. If you get diagnosed with copd, see a doctor and get treated. You can really have a productive life despite the disease.

Answer 2

Depends: If you take care of yourself with the advice of you physician and if you do not have any other comorbid conditions, you may have normal life expectancy. If your disease is far advanced, you have frequent exacerbations, then you may have a short span. Pulmonary function tests may give us an indication of how severe your COPD is.

Answer 3

Depends...: COPD is a slowly progressive disease. Many factors contribute to the rate of progression including age at diagnosis, severity of disease, oxygen levels, smoking cessation, presence of other disease states, etc. See your doctor so the details of your case can be reviewed and your question answered for your particular case!

Answer 4

PFT: A pulmonary function test or spirometry is needed to diagnose copd. X-rays alone are not enough. Medical history is also important.

Answer 5

Diagnosis...: COPD is diagnosed by a doctor's clinical evaluation in conjunction with pulmonary function testing and arterial blood gas analysis. Lab work may also be needed.

Answer 6

Exam: Is based on your signs, symptoms, smoking history, certain genetic disorder testing, radiological evaluation and pulmonary function testing. Not all modalities are necessary.

Answer 7

PFTs...: COPD is diagnosed by showing non-reversible airway obstruction on pulmonary function testing. This test can be ordered by your family doctor and it is interpreted by a lung specialist. If you are a smoker, you need to quit asap to decrease your changes of having copd.

Answer 8

Copd: Diagnosed by history, physical exam, chest X-ray and pulmonary function tests.

Answer 9

PFTs: COPD is an anatomical and functional disease mainly affecting smokers. Shortness of breath and chronic productive cough are symptoms of such. A chest X-ray can show the anatomical destruction and pulmonary function tests can reveal the functional correlate.

Answer 10

Inhalers: First, smokers should quit smoking. A number of inhalers are used. There are controlling medications to be taken daily and rescue inhalers to be taken only when needed. For more details, check with your doctor.

Answer 11

Treatment...: COPD is treated with bronchodilator as well as steroid inhalers to relieve bronchospasm and inflammation. If your oxygen level is low enough, oxygen is prescribed. Smoking cessation is absolutely necessary to decrease inflammation and slow disease progression.

Answer 12

Expert: Always expert tio, steroid, and other.

Answer 13

It's rough to puff..: It depends on what alternative treatments you're considering. Complimentary treatments such as physical therapy for the lungs, i.e. Pulmonary rehab therapy, with a therapist are known to be effective in improving quality of life. If you're oxygen dependent and want to get rid of oxygen and medications in favor of some alternative you may be risking all the progress you've made to this point.

Answer 14

Depends: What are the alternative therapies and are these in place of standard treatment? For instance massage and exercise programs are beneficial and safe. Questionable medications, herbal supplements and accupuncture have little evidence to support their use.

Answer 15

Care for Lungs well: With COPD if you prevent further damage you can prevent progression of disease. Take n-acetyl cysteine daily gives extra energy to mitochondria and acts as a mucolytic too.

Answer 16

Difficult: Determining prognosis in COPD is very difficult. One published prognosis guide is a calculation called the bode index - it uses body weight, lung function, exercise capacity and a dyspnea score to estimate prognsosis. It is available obline.

Answer 17

Depends: It depends on how bad your COPD is whether you are oxygen dependent, whether you have other comorbid conditions such as CHF etc. With treatment generally you can live longer-- difficult to predict, may be 10 years or more.

how long can you live with copd after diagnosed?

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